US4362517A - Inflatable liferafts - Google Patents

Inflatable liferafts Download PDF

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Publication number
US4362517A
US4362517A US06/198,174 US19817480A US4362517A US 4362517 A US4362517 A US 4362517A US 19817480 A US19817480 A US 19817480A US 4362517 A US4362517 A US 4362517A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
liferafts
inflation
container
liferaft
air
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US06/198,174
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English (en)
Inventor
Michael D. Martin
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
RFD Inflatables Ltd
Original Assignee
RFD Inflatables Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by RFD Inflatables Ltd filed Critical RFD Inflatables Ltd
Assigned to RFD INFLATABLES LIMITED, reassignment RFD INFLATABLES LIMITED, ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: MARTIN MICHAEL D.
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US4362517A publication Critical patent/US4362517A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
    • B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
    • B63C9/04—Life-rafts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B7/00—Collapsible, foldable, inflatable or like vessels
    • B63B7/06—Collapsible, foldable, inflatable or like vessels having parts of non-rigid material
    • B63B7/08—Inflatable
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
    • B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
    • B63C9/04—Life-rafts
    • B63C2009/042—Life-rafts inflatable
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C9/00—Life-saving in water
    • B63C9/02—Lifeboats, life-rafts or the like, specially adapted for life-saving
    • B63C9/04—Life-rafts
    • B63C2009/044—Life-rafts covered

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to inflatable liferafts and is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with an inflatable liferaft which is stowed in a deflated and folded condition in a container and which is inflated from pressurised air or gas inflation cylinders attached to the liferaft and packed with it within the container.
  • an inflatable liferaft comprising a pressurised air or gas inflation unit, elongate flexible support means connected between a point of attachment on the liferaft and the inflation unit for supporting the inflation unit at a position remote from the point of attachment and carrying an air or gas flexible supply line or lines from the inflation unit to the liferaft, whereby during inflation of the liferaft the point of attachment has freedom to move relative to the inflation unit.
  • the inflation unit comprises one or more pressurised air or gas inflation cylinders stowed in a holder and the flexible support means comprises a flexible tube through which the air or gas supply line or lines pass and which is secured at one end to the holder and at the other end to the point of attachment on the liferaft at a strongpoint thereon.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inflatable liferaft according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a survival unit during inflation and comprising two liferafts as shown in FIG. 1.
  • the liferaft shown comprises two superposed endless inflatable buoyancy tubes 11 and 12, a floor 13 which is secured at its periphery to the base of the lower buoyancy tube 12 and a canopy 14 secured at its periphery to the upper buoyancy tube 11 and supported by a canopy support structure formed by a pair of inflatable arched canopy support tubes 15, each of which has two leg portions extending upwardly and inwardly from spaced positions along the buoyancy tube 11 to the center of the liferaft where they are joined by a bridge portion which is juxtaposed to a bridge portion of the other arched tube, the leg portions of which extend upwardly and inwardly from spaced positions on the other side of the liferaft.
  • One leg portion 15 of one of the canopy support tubes is revealed in FIG.
  • the openings 16 are formed in the canopy 14 at equi-angularly spaced positions around the liferaft and each is closable by a closure sheet (not shown).
  • the interiors of the two buoyancy tubes 11 and 12 have no communication with each other and are arranged to be inflated separately.
  • One of the arched canopy support tubes is arranged to be inflated from inflation air supplied to the buoyancy tube 11 while the other canopy support tube is arranged to be inflated by the lower buoyancy tube 12.
  • An inflation unit 10 for inflation of the buoyancy tubes 11 and 12 and their associated canopy support tubes comprises two pressurised nitrogen inflation cylinders 17 and 18 housed in a holder 19 secured to the liferaft by a flexible inextensible tube 20, one end of which is attached to the holder 19 and the other end of which is secured to a strong point on the lower buoyancy tube 12.
  • High pressure small bore supply hoses 21 and 22 extend from the cylinder outlets through the tube 20 to aspirators 23 and 24 carried by the buoyancy tubes 11 and 12.
  • the inflation cylinders 17 and 18 are arranged to be opened either automatically or manually by pulling on a pull cord (not shown).
  • the pressurised nitrogen supplied to the hoses 21 and 22 is fed into the buoyancy tubes 11 and 12 via the aspirators 23 and 24 which supplement the nitrogen fed thereto by entraining ambient air.
  • the length of the tube 20 is such in relation to the length of the hoses 21 and 22 as to absorb any tensile loads which might otherwise be imposed on the hoses in use of the liferaft.
  • the liferaft shown in FIG. 1 has a service capacity of 43 persons with an outside diameter of 5.28 meters, an inside diameter of 4.46 meters and an overall height of 1.80 meters.
  • each inflation cylinder may contain air or nitrogen at 3000 p.s.i.
  • FIG. 1 It has been found advantageous to provide a survival unit in which two 42-person liferafts as shown in FIG. 1 are coupled together to offer a total service capacity of 84 persons.
  • the two liferafts together with their inflation units 10 are stowed in a deflated and folded condition in a cylindrical container formed by two semi-cylindrical half shells which are held together by straps which give way under loading imposed upon them by initial inflation of the liferafts in the container.
  • two coupled liferafts 25 and 26, shown inflated in FIG. 2 are packed in a deflated and folded condition on top of their inflation units 10 in the lower-most half shell 28 of their container which is closed by fitting the other half shell (not shown) to the half shell 28 and securing them together by straps as hereinbefore described.
  • Actuation of the inflation cylinders 17 and 18 of the two inflation units 10 is obtained by pulling on a single pull cord (not shown) extending from the container and, in use, the container housing the two liferafts 25 and 26 is dropped into the water and the cord pulled hard. Nitrogen discharges from the cylinders 17 and 18 and via the aspirators into the buoyancy tubes 11 and 12 of the two liferafts causing them to inflate. During the initial stages of inflation, the liferafts 25 and 26 expand within the container and break the straps holding the two half shells of the container together. The liferafts 25 and 26 then inflate out of the container and are held in coupled side-by-side relation by a releasable attachment 27, as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the points of attachment of the tubes 20 to the two liferafts 25 and 26 are forced away from each other and from the container half shell 28.
  • the inflation units 10 remain within the half shell 28 and by virtue of the length of the flexible hoses 21 and 22 and their support tubes 20 cause no obstruction to the inflation of the liferafts on the water.
  • the inflation units remain in the half shell 28 until the latter fills with water and sinks.
  • the aspirators 23 and 24 are inoperative until they are above water level, whereupon they take in ambient air to boost the high pressure air or gas from the cylinders. In this way, rapid inflation is achieved in less than 30 seconds. After the inflation cylinders 17 and 18 have become discharged, the air intakes on the aspirators 23 and 24 automatically close and are locked in the closed position.
  • the attachment 27 can, if desired, be released by a simple action of a survivor to allow separation of the two liferafts.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Tents Or Canopies (AREA)
US06/198,174 1979-10-18 1980-10-17 Inflatable liferafts Expired - Lifetime US4362517A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB7936193 1979-10-18
GB7936193 1979-10-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4362517A true US4362517A (en) 1982-12-07

Family

ID=10508595

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US06/198,174 Expired - Lifetime US4362517A (en) 1979-10-18 1980-10-17 Inflatable liferafts

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US (1) US4362517A (da)
DK (1) DK160038C (da)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4639229A (en) * 1984-04-05 1987-01-27 Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of Canada Survival kit air deployable apparatus and method
US5334064A (en) * 1993-03-05 1994-08-02 Hampton Rubber Company Life raft storage and inflation system
EP1953080A1 (fr) 2007-02-02 2008-08-06 Zodiac International Dispositif de survie en mer à plusieurs radeaux pneumatiques
US9776686B2 (en) 2015-12-03 2017-10-03 Formex Manufacturing, Inc. Modular watercraft with in-line or pontoon-type flotation
US9944368B1 (en) * 2008-06-10 2018-04-17 Quick Raft, LLC. Inflatable life raft assembly
US10179998B1 (en) * 2017-01-31 2019-01-15 Argonaut Inflatable Research And Engineering, Inc. Air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly and cooperating structural cover port aperture
US20200031439A1 (en) * 2018-07-30 2020-01-30 Goodrich Corporation Inline aspirator for inflatable assemblies
US11161577B1 (en) * 2020-05-28 2021-11-02 Poliana Houston Personal flotation device with safety features

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2216871A (en) * 1939-03-13 1940-10-08 Reginald M Banks Float
CA560492A (en) * 1958-07-15 N. Pritty Gerald Stowage for an inflatable raft or like infllatable objects
US3308494A (en) * 1964-11-30 1967-03-14 Robert J Licher Inflatable life preserver
US3682354A (en) * 1969-02-20 1972-08-08 John R Witte Trigger mechanism for inflatable life preservers and the like
US4063323A (en) * 1977-02-14 1977-12-20 Salvarezza Robert M Ring buoy with automatic separation of smoke signal buoy from strobe light buoy

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA560492A (en) * 1958-07-15 N. Pritty Gerald Stowage for an inflatable raft or like infllatable objects
US2216871A (en) * 1939-03-13 1940-10-08 Reginald M Banks Float
US3308494A (en) * 1964-11-30 1967-03-14 Robert J Licher Inflatable life preserver
US3682354A (en) * 1969-02-20 1972-08-08 John R Witte Trigger mechanism for inflatable life preservers and the like
US4063323A (en) * 1977-02-14 1977-12-20 Salvarezza Robert M Ring buoy with automatic separation of smoke signal buoy from strobe light buoy

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4639229A (en) * 1984-04-05 1987-01-27 Her Majesty The Queen In Right Of Canada Survival kit air deployable apparatus and method
US5334064A (en) * 1993-03-05 1994-08-02 Hampton Rubber Company Life raft storage and inflation system
EP1953080A1 (fr) 2007-02-02 2008-08-06 Zodiac International Dispositif de survie en mer à plusieurs radeaux pneumatiques
US20080188148A1 (en) * 2007-02-02 2008-08-07 Guillaume Simon-Bouhet Sea survival device including several pneumatic liferafts
FR2912111A1 (fr) * 2007-02-02 2008-08-08 Zodiac Internat Soc Par Action Dispositif de survie en mer a plusieurs radeaux pneumatiques
US7708611B2 (en) 2007-02-02 2010-05-04 Zodiac International Sea survival device including several pneumatic liferafts
US9944368B1 (en) * 2008-06-10 2018-04-17 Quick Raft, LLC. Inflatable life raft assembly
US9776686B2 (en) 2015-12-03 2017-10-03 Formex Manufacturing, Inc. Modular watercraft with in-line or pontoon-type flotation
US10179998B1 (en) * 2017-01-31 2019-01-15 Argonaut Inflatable Research And Engineering, Inc. Air-beam aircell communicating airflow port assembly and cooperating structural cover port aperture
US20200031439A1 (en) * 2018-07-30 2020-01-30 Goodrich Corporation Inline aspirator for inflatable assemblies
US10661865B2 (en) * 2018-07-30 2020-05-26 Goodrich Corporation Inline aspirator for inflatable assemblies
US11110998B2 (en) 2018-07-30 2021-09-07 Goodrich Corporation Inline aspirator for inflatable assemblies
US11161577B1 (en) * 2020-05-28 2021-11-02 Poliana Houston Personal flotation device with safety features

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DK160038B (da) 1991-01-21
DK160038C (da) 1991-06-17
DK439380A (da) 1981-04-19

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